


Random Stories

by Angelicat2



Series: In The Darkness of the Night [8]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Blood Drinking, Blood and Injury, Drabble Collection, Fanart, Fluff, Hunk (Voltron) is so Pure, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Shiro (Voltron), Shapeshifter Keith (Voltron), Vampire Keith (Voltron), will add more tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2020-10-20 00:15:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20666156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelicat2/pseuds/Angelicat2
Summary: Just a set of small fics in one when I feel like making them. Part of my 'In the Darkness of the Night' series.1. Keith enjoys ice cream as a bat.2. Keith hides in Allura's hair and enjoys a snack as a bat.3. Keith gets seriously injured during a fight, and Shiro's there to save him.4. Keith and Shiro get stuck on another planet with a raging blizzard.5. Keith (in bat form) gets burrs stuck all over himself.





	1. Chilly Ice Cream

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, this is just for the fics I randomly think of and want to post but have no bigger plot. Most will be short, but if I'm especially motivated, they'll be longer. As to when it's gonna be updated, no idea because these chapters will just be written randomly XD
> 
> Also, I'll put tags on each chapter to let you know what is in that one (angst, fluff, general stuff, main characters, etc...)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith eats ice cream with the rest of the paladins while in bat form.
> 
> Fluff, Hunk & Keith, Keith & Shiro, Bat Keith.

"I don't know...he looks like he's kinda hungry."

Keith glanced over at Hunk from his spot where he was perched on the couch under Shiro's thick black blanket. They were all in the lounge right now, and he had felt better in his bat form today...not that any of them had known it was him, barring Shiro. Everyone had a small bowl of what Keith thought was ice cream...maybe…

"Is...it smart to feed a bat ice cream?" Lance asked with a raised brow. So it was ice cream, or the space equivalent of ice cream, "Don't bats eat fruit and stuff like that? Will milk kill him?"

"He literally had popcorn the other night," Pidge deadpanned before her eye twitched, "I don't think three flavors of ice cream will bother him."

"Jeez, I was just asking…" Lance pouted off in the corner of the couch, arms crossed. Keith watched as the resident chef of the team slowly brought over a tiny white bowl with glowing blue marks. When the dish was sat in front of him, he tilted his head, ear flicking. 

"It's just ice cream," Hunk spoke softly before Keith gazed up at him, slowly sniffing at the cold mount of dessert. It smelled good, like something he would like a lot. He couldn't put down a specific flavor to the smell, so he pressed closer. Sitting at the base of the dish, he slowly stuck his tongue out. The others got more on the edge as he moved closer and closer to the treat, watching him intensely. 

Pausing, he blinked at them, tongue still out and only centimeters from the ice cream. No one moved a muscle. Keith huffed at their weird behavior before he took a lick.

Cold burst up his spine all the way to his eyes, making him let out a distressed growl as he scrunched up his nose. Sweet but calming sugar hit him next as he shivered deeply, shaking from his tail to his nose. Brrrr…

Before he could help it, Keith took off over the couch, climbing the back before leaping into the air and touching down on Shiro's shoulder. Tucking into the man's body, he let out a trill as warmth flowed through his body, making him happy as could be. 

"He doesn't like it," Hunk pouted sadly in defeat as Keith peeked out from his best friend's jacket. No. No. No. Keith couldn't deal with the other being down. He had to fix this. Rubbing against Shiro's neck, he waited as the older chuckled, somehow understanding him.

"I think he does," Shiro explained as he strolled to the cup of melting food, "It's just a bit cold, and Little Buddy often doesn't like the low temperatures. He does like it though."

_He's right._ Keith stated, knowing none of them would understand him. To prove his point, he took another bite. Another deep shiver ran through him, but he trilled as Shiro's warm hand brushed over him. Taking another lick, he let it soak in.

Vanilla...brownies...bittersweet cherry…

A series of sneezes came over him quickly, something he had no control over. The others all coed, understanding that he was happy. Keith finally stopped after a long moment, taking in the atmosphere before eating some more. His tail wagged around softly as he pressed his nose to the cold treat.

“Awwwwwww…” Hunk stared at him with...heart eyes? Starry eyes? Something like that? Keith wasn’t sure, but he didn’t really mind it. With Shiro gently petting his side and the others chatting away, he grinned softly before munching on the chilly treat more. This was a good time.


	2. Hair Petting and Full Pockets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coran runs into Allura who has a tag-along. This tag-along also finds some food in Coran's pocket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluff, Coran & Allura & Keith, Bat Keith.

Coran was busy.

Glancing at the basket in his hand, he raised a brow. Apparently, he was not as busy as he had thought. The white container lay full of empty bottles for cleaning, painting, and...nunvil! Sipping the rest of it, he put the completely empty bottle away before grinning at the crisp hall he now walked through. 

He could hear light humming from around the corner, one he knew so well. Smile growing, he strolled over to the younger Altean. Allura sat there with a tiny grin on her lips, staring out into space as she hummed a soft tone Coran remembered her mother doing. She looked at ease, something Coran wished he saw from her more often.

"Hello, princess!" He greeted her before taking a seat next to her, looking out into the great expanse of purple, "How is your morning?"

"It is pretty good, Coran," she smiled before gazing over at him, "The paladins had some...fun at the breakfast table."

"They do have strange morning rituals, don't they?" Coran smirked before pulling on his mustache, "Imagine a thing called coffee! Your father would have had such a laugh if he heard the word. Coffee."

"And Lance sticks to his...face masks every day," Allura snickered as her eyes softened. A moment later they turned ice hard, "If only he'd use that dedication for training."

"We all have our interests, princess," Coran shrugged before he gazed to the window, Allura's reflection bright on the glass, "Just like how you like dressing up, people like Number Five do not."

"That was an adjustment," Allura nodded as she blinked, "I had never met a girl who did not want to dress up and be...girly. But perhaps that was because I lived the palace life."

"That is true," Coran nodded as he remembered the younger's youth. The young princess had never really had anyone her age to be around. The older was about to say something when a tiny spot on her head moved. Staring at it in her reflection, Coran waited as it once again moved. 

"Princess, is there something in your hair?"

She gave him a confused look.

"No," she shook her head, "Why?"

"Did one of the mice get trapped in your hair again?" He wondered as the same area moved, "Because it is bumping around up there."

Just as he said that, a little black head appeared from the snow white locks. Said bundle of ebony stretched up further, now exposing his head and upper wings to them as a tiny yawn left his mouth.

It was the bat.

"Princess," Coran tried to not let his laughter bubble out as the bat carefully patted her head without her knowing he was there still, "It would seem that another friend of ours likes your hair too."

"What?" Allura asked as she gazed at the window before gasping, "Oh my quiznak!"

The bat let out a small click before laying there, ruffling her hair up.

"How long have you been there?" The younger asked with a hand to her chest.

The little creature stared at her for a long tick before chirping. He soon rested his head onto the Altean's forehead right where hair met skin, shaking it a little.

"Hey, no sleeping in my hair," she frowned but it was only half-hearted as said bat patted her head again, "Hey, I know you are awake right now. It does not mean you won’t go back to sleep again."

The bat let out a small huff before nuzzling against her hair. Coran did snicker this time as pale blue eyes stared at him. At the same time, tiny purple eyes watched him with a shine to them. 

"This is quite cute, princess," he grinned as she rolled her eyes...something she no doubt learned from the other paladins, "If only I had a camera on me right now."

"You can get a picture later," Allura spoke up as she smiled up at the bat whose tail wiggled, "Our friend looks like he's having fun."

A series of squeaks flew through the air as the bat bobbed his head slightly. A moment passed before he sneezed, which made Allura’s face instantly drop into one of disgust and irritation. Coran covered his mouth, but didn’t hide it in time to prevent her from seeing it.

“What?”

“Oh, no-no-nothing, princess,” he barely held back his snickers before cracking, laughing harder than he could remember in years...technically, 10,000 years to be exact, “Nothi...Nothing...at all!”

When he settled down, he gazed over at the two. Allura had a brow raised while the bat was tilting his head curiously, one ear flicking softly back and forth. Coran wiped tears away before grinning over at the two.

“It is a good day!” He laughed loudly again before patting his side. Before he knew it, something landed on the spot he patted, making him look down. The bat was on his blue jacket, sniffing around the pouch he had there. Coran smirked as the other climbed on into the tight pocket, making a small sound as he scooted around in the (spacey) space. A tick later, he popped his head back up into the air, holding onto a bit of repesic fruit. The bat took a small bite of it before trilling softly.

“I think he likes it,” Allura laughed gently before she petted at the fur on the creature’s head. The bat just let out another series of clicks before digging into the snack Coran had even forgotten was there. The bittersweet juice slid down his ebony wings, but he licked it up before it got too far. Before he could do anything else, he could see the moment the bat accidentally licked Allura’s hand as she snickered again, “That tickles!”

The bat chirped again, as if to confirm that she had been right, before wiggling around in the pocket. Swallowing the last bite, he dove into Coran’s pocket, moving around quite a bit before coming back up with another slice. A moment passed before he made some sort of sound, holding it out with his mouth.

“I think he is trying to offer you a snack, princess,” Coran snickered softly as the bat let out a muffled chirp, pressing forward more.

“I...uhhh...that is rather...sweet of you,” She smiled with a touch of discomfort in her face before she shook her head, “Perhaps you should keep them for yourself.”

A small huff left his mouth before he literally pouted. Coran had never ever seen an animal look as expressive as this one was. A slow tick moved by before the bat tilted his head up at him, holding the piece of fruit out hesitantly as if Coran would snap and get mad at him for offering. The older only smiled back before picking up the snack, which surprisingly didn’t even have bite marks or anything on it. 

“Thank you,” Coran grinned as he munched on it himself. Allura shot him a startled look as he shrugged. It was good. A little overripe, but tasty. The little bat watched him for a moment, sniffing the air slightly before chirping softly. Another chirp followed before the bat rubbed his head against Coran’s jacket. The older chuckled quietly before petting at the other’s head, getting another trill as the bat closed his eyes with happiness radiating through him. 

This went on for a bit more before the bat opened his eyes, glancing right at his own before crawling out of the pocket. Another sound, and the bat hopped off, taking into the air before letting out another squeak, disappearing around the hallway. The little bit of fruit in Coran’s hand weighed heavy as he smiled and ate it all.

“Coran!” Allura shook her head, a grin on her lips, “Is that not disgusting?”

“It is alright,” he laughed softly before shrugging, “I don’t mind. He’s our friend, after all, princess.”

“You’re right,” she nodded before she shivered, “But I would not eat right from his mouth. That is...a bit gross.”

“It’s not too bad,” Coran smirked back at her, “Why I remember a time your father and I-”

“Oh my quiznak!” The younger laughed before she covered her face, blushing deeply, “I do not need to know!”

“We shared a lot of things back in the day,” he smiled softly before grinning, “Like-”

“Bye, Coran!” Allura laughed before sprinting down the hall in the opposite direction of where the bat had gone. The older shook his head before smiling even more. At least his princess was having a good time. 

And he’d make sure to keep his pockets full with fruits and snacks for his newest friend.


	3. I Would Never Leave You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith gets seriously injured during a fight, and Shiro's there to save him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angst, blood, blood-drinking, serious injuries, minor character death, happy ending, Keith & Shiro.

“KEITH!”

Shiro shouted at the top as his lungs as he turned to see Keith fighting a living Galra on the edge of a ship nearby. They were the only ones out here right now, and they were badly outnumbered in the worst way. Shiro was already sore and still facing two soldiers. Punching left, his glowing fist took out the purple alien as heat sliced through skin. Thrusting his fist at the other, he didn’t see the sword coming his way until the sharp metal bit into his armor, making him fly backwards with its force.

He wouldn’t give up. He had survived too much to die now.

A scream of pain behind him momentarily stunned him. That was Keith. Shiro knew Keith’s voice inside and outside. And right now, he was in lots of pain. Ducking to the side, Shiro growled as he slid towards the Galra who was dumb enough to stand there in shock. With an uppercut punch, Shiro’s fist shattered through the other’s helmet, hopefully knocking the other out...but likely killing. Not taking time to catch his breath, he turned to the two on the ship.

Just in time to see the soldier thrust a blade right into Keith’s throat. Blood splattered outward as all the noise around them died except for the impossibly loud sound of Keith choking. Before his eyes, he sees as Keith stumbles forward. The soldier gets too confident, stepping closer with a sadistic smirk, thinking they’ve won. Keith proves them wrong as he slashes his hand out, getting it on the other and snapping their neck with all of his strength. The Galra falls to the metal on the ship, but Keith wobbles backwards before slipping over the edge.

“KEITH!” Shiro shouted in anguish, deep fear rolling through his gut as he takes off for where his best friend would land. It wasn’t going to be pretty, and Shiro knew...if...if Keith was alive, he’d need him right away. The distance feels like forever. It seems as if every step gets him no closer to his suffering friend. 

By the time he gets to the other, tears are in his eyes. Rushing forward, he presses to Keith’s side. The younger landed on his back, body pretty broken in ways that hurt Shiro to even look at. His left ankle was likely shattered, at the wrong angle to be anything but wrecked. His armor is dented in on his upper thigh. His undersuit is cut in a long strip on his side. There’s a long slash in the metal on the younger’s lower chestplate. Blood is clinging to the white of his chestplate as he hacks wetly, making Shiro unsure if his lungs hadn't been punctured with the cut. As if noticing him there, Keith’s head turns to Shiro slowly as his pained purple eyes latch onto the older. He’s got a large burn mark on his brow that looks beyond painful and bruises are already forming, most prominent on his chin and neck, dark purple on white skin. 

“Keith,” Shiro cries out before holding the other close, wincing deeply when the other makes a choked, pained sound, “Keith. I’m here. Keith.”

“Sh...ro,” Keith coughed softed before going even more pale, blood pulsing from his throat rapidly and bubbling up onto Keith’s armor like lava from a volcano, “Hu...r…”

“I know,” Tears are falling by now as Shiro carefully holds Keith up to his side, making sure he can press his mouth to his neck, “I know. Just...just drink, Keith. You’ll be okay. You’re gonna make it.”

“O...k…” Keith’s weak reply comes out almost too softly for Shiro to hear. Shiro can feel Keith’s blood soaking into the undersuit’s collar, feeling slimy and warm as it slides over his chest. Closing his eyes, he braced Keith’s head, digging his fingers into Keith’s sweaty locks before gently pressing his mouth further to his flesh. A long moment passes as Keith grows weaker, rasping unevenly against his neck. Resting his chin against the younger’s face, he waits.

Twin pricks dig into his throat without preamble, sinking in deeper than what Shiro was used to from the other. Another few seconds pass before Keith slowly...painstakingly slowly...licks at the bite mark. Warmth flows through Shiro like gentle fire but he doesn’t pay it any mind as he focuses on his injured friend. The other is still very wounded, but out of the corner of his eye, he sees Keith’s ankle shift slightly, healing itself. He’s proven correct as a crackling pop filled the air which Keith makes a tiny noise at before drinking more. 

By the time Keith pulls away, Shiro’s sure he’s okay. He no longer feels Keith bleeding anywhere. Keith gazes at him, his irises bright scarlet and sharp teeth out, peeking past his lips, still dripping with his blood. Looking Keith over, he brushes the younger’s dirty bangs out of his face, seeing that the bruises are gone. The burn mark has vanished as if it were never there, and the other is definitely stronger. Much stronger.

“Thanks, Shiro,” Keith grins at him before nuzzling into his side. Shiro hums softly as he wraps his arms around his closest friend, holding him just to make sure he was still alive. The younger licks at his neck, likely for extra measures to make sure his bite mark healed up all the way. Shiro smiles fondly at the other before hugging him tighter.

“Always, Keith,” he laughed softly before running his fingers through the other’s hair, “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“Heh…” Keith grinned before his eyes faded back to their dark hues, teeth sinking back to normal. The younger stared at him for a long moment before sighing softly, eyes going fond, “I would never leave you, Shiro.”

“I know,” Shiro laughed softly before pressing his face to the other’s chest, hearing the half vampire’s heartbeat in his body, “So what will we tell the others? We have way too much blood on us to make up an excuse. And Galra blood is purple.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Keith held onto him more, practically curling around the older, despite the armor digging into their sides uncomfortably, “Thanks for keeping my secret.”

“Always, Keith,” Shiro breathed out quietly before burying his nose into the man’s hair, “Always.”


	4. Blizzard Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro and Keith get stuck on another planet, this time one that's a frozen wasteland with no water or creatures. Shiro finds Keith stuck out in the storm, nearly half-frozen and nearing hypothermia...or is he?
> 
> Shiro & Keith & Red & Black, blood and injury, hypothermia, snuggling, blood-drinking, hurt Keith, a bit of pining Shiro...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got long...XD Also poor Shiro who's just pining for his best friend as Shiro does...

Well...shit…

Shiro shivered as he pulled his blankets over himself. Snow smacked into his face, burning his freezing cold nose as the rich scent of decay hit his senses. Whatever was in the snow here smelled so much like death that Shiro grimaced, memories of the arena hitting him in waves. His lion was crashed into the ground in the distance, still smoking and lifeless for now. He had grabbed whatever he could when he had left the ship. 

Sadly, that wasn’t much…

Two blankets and a few packets of some type of dry food he didn’t even bother looking at. His helmet was shattered, but at least none of the glass had imploded towards his face. He was a bit sore, but untouched since Black took most of the impact.

Keith...Keith wasn’t so lucky.

“Keith,” Shiro called out as he shivered again. His best friend had crashed with him on this lifeless planet, and this time...there was nothing to save them. The damn snow was not edible, and Shiro didn’t trust it at all. There was no source of drinkable water here, nor was there any people nearby or animals to hunt. Wind whipped frigid air into his face, sending ice crystals into his eyes, blurring his vision. He nearly tripped as the wind howled lowly in his ears. His freezing, ice cold ears.

He was cold. His fingers were tingling intensely along with his toes. Each limb was beginning to lock up with tightening muscles, like his usual spasms put in extreme slow motion. His lips were numb enough he probably wouldn’t have been able to feel if he was biting them.

Where was Keith?

He thought Red had slammed to the ground close to Black. He had been sure that the smaller lion had. He remembers Keith being right by his side when his lights flashed an eerie red, warning him of the systems getting overloaded...whatever was in the snow must have been bad for machines too.

“Keith!” Shiro glanced around before marching on, covering his face with the blanket. It doesn’t save him from the wind and chill, but it was better than being in his lion, which had been even colder and clogged with smoke. At least out here, he could breathe.

Coming to a steep slope, he paused as a dull color called out him in the white around him. Freezing for a moment, he covered his face before blinking...The color...was red...like a certain lio-

“Red!” He blurted out loudly before running to the lion. It took a long minute to reach her, but he eventually did as he pressed his hand to her paw. The lion was cold and stiff just like his lion was, but she wasn’t smoking from what Shiro could see. Her giant muzzle was smashed into the snow as if she had been in the middle of a headlong dive into the powder but had shifted too much before the last second to impact. Racing around the lion, he saw that the hatch was open on top of the lion, a sure sign that Keith had left her.

Shiro winced. Hopefully the younger hadn’t gone too far. About to turn to search more, he caught the small flash of blue in the snow. Brushing his hand over the thing, he stared in shock as Keith’s helmet sat in his hands, the glass also broken. However, unlike Shiro’s, blood dripped down the shards of shattered material, onto the snow.

There was quite a bit of blood, scattered around in the snow. He hopes...hopes that Keith didn’t get thrown through the doors out into the cold. 

“Hello,” Shiro quickly pressed the helmet on his head, listening as static echoes in the gear. At least it was working, “Does anyone copy? Allura? Coran? Anyone?”

Nothing but static.

“We need help,” the man huffs out fogged breath as he waits, “This is a distress call. Someone...Anyone?”

Nothing. Shiro hated to admit it, but right now...even a Galra cruiser getting his call would be better than no one hearing them. If they didn't get someone here soon, both could die from exposure.

“Damn it,” Shiro groaned before setting the helmet by the lion’s head. Searching around, he noticed the loose track of footprints in the snow, as if whoever had made them had been dizzy and weak. Shiro felt fear slam into his chest, knowing that was Keith. Following the trail, he walked for a good bit before the slope started to quickly go down, at almost a sixty degree angle. Staring out in the distance, he noticed something black sticking out of the snow at the bottom of the pit. From where he stood, he could also see red and white in there, a long messy trail of crushed snow leading out from i-

“Keith!”

Shiro jumped down the hill. Barely avoiding tripping on his way down, he slid to a stop right next to his best friend. 

Keith was half buried in the cold snow. One closed eye was covered with the frozen water, along with a big portion of his back. He was much paler than usual, his breathing slower than Shiro felt was good. Blood was carved along both cheeks on cuts that Shiro couldn’t help but whimper at. If he looked closer, he could see some bits of glass in the wounds, clinging even as scarlet dripped sluggishly. One arm was twisted in a weird way, probably broken. His bayard was still in his unharmed hand, blade out and entirely covered.

“Keith,” Shiro pressed close to the other who made no noise, “Keith. Wake up, buddy. Come on, Keith. Cherry Pie. Wake up.”

It took awhile, but the younger opened his eyes just a bit, a long whine leaving his throat as dark orbs stared at him blankly. A second passed before said eyes started to close again as the younger curled up more, lips a bluish color. The bayard flashed out of existence right at that moment.

“Keith,” Shiro pulled the younger up before wrapping both of his blankets around the colder, resting his fingers over the other’s neck, “Don’t go to sleep. Stay with me. Cherry Pie.”

“Ti-tired,” Keith panted before snuggling into the blanket, “S-sl-leep.”

“Hey, tell me about your dad’s favorite things to do?” He picked up the younger who merely pressed his colder nose into his neck, “You said that he liked to feed the wild animals who came near your house.”

“Y-yea-h,” Keith breathed coolly onto his neck before licking his dry lips, which Shiro could feel against his skin, "Co-oytes…"

"Coyotes?" Shiro questioned softly before marching up the hill, back to Red where they could get some shelter, "How many coyotes did you see?"

"On-one," the younger paused for a long moment, another strange sound leaving him before he continued, "Sometimes tw-two...pop said...mates."

"They were mates?" Shiro asked curiously, if only to keep the other talking and alive, "Did they share the food?"

"Heh...nah," Keith snickered quietly before falling silent. When a few long, heart-wrenching seconds went by without a word, Shiro hurried his pace, shaking his friend. The younger groaned again, "Wh-whaa-wha...Sh'ro?"

Shit. Shiro cursed under his breath. Keith was showing signs of hypothermia. His slurred, sluggish speech and confusion was not a good sign. Nor was the fact that he was not shivering at all and if the older looked, he'd probably see dazed eyes.

Rushing over to the lion, he carefully slipped Keith into the machine before throwing the helmet in. Before long, he dragged himself up to that door, hopping inside to the (thankfully) toastier space, he looked back as the door grinded itself shut.

"Thanks, Red," Shiro grinned softly before pressing his hand to the ship's side. The sentient being must have understood that they both needed heat. Turning around, he quickly scooped up his best friend before taking him to the pilot seat. Quickly stripping both of their armor, he sat down in the seat before resting Keith on him. Wrapping the blankets over his best friend, he hugged the other closer, hoping to share his warmth. Keith was ice cold, skin even paler than before. His breathing was...deep though. 

And he was still curled up like a ball, with his hands tucked to his chest.

"Keith?"

The younger didn't make a sound as he slept on. Shiro blinked before he raised a brow as the air in the lion kicked off. About to question the lion, he paused for a moment before realizing that that feeling he always got when Keith was in big trouble...it hadn’t come. He didn’t have a strong urge to make sure Keith ate from him...not more than usual.

What was going on?

“Keith?”

The younger made a small noise before shuffling closer to Shiro, pressing into his chest. Other than that, the other didn’t try anything. He didn’t try to come closer. He didn’t bite Shiro. Just...laid there…

“Red, what’s happening?”

The lion rumbled softly before a screen popped up on the dash. Shiro raised a brow as a video of Coran showed up. Confused on why the lion was showing that, he listened in. The older man stated something about animals...in between all the nonsense he usually muttered and the (most likely curse words that made no sense to Shiro) statements...Something about…

“Hibernation?” Shiro tilted his head before staring down at the younger in his arms, “Humans don’t hibernate…”

But...Keith wasn’t human. Not at all...he was vampire and Galra. Shiro didn’t know how either functioned...but he could guess that maybe vampires did so. 

Another rumble went through his head before he felt something softly brush against his mind. Black was trying to talk to him, which he let in right away. Said lion rumbled again before sending him a quick burst of Keith in bat form.

“Ohhh,” Shiro breathed out before staring at his best friend who just continued sleeping, “Are you sure?”

The lion rumbled in his head again before making a noise that Shiro took to mean that she thought he was an idiot.

“Fair enough,” the older shrugged before laughing nervously, “Some bats do hibernate to conserve energy to live through harsh and cold winters. Just...never figured Keith would be able to do that…”

And then it hit him. Shiro had been (mostly) fine out there. He had probably been out there longer than Keith had been, but Keith’s body was slowing down to conserve energy…

What was in the snow?

"Okay, not coming to this planet ever again," he muttered before frowning, "How do we get him out of it?" 

Red purred softly (Shiro laughed quietly because the lion was never docile for anyone except Keith) before the heat kicked up a degree or two.

"Oh, Keith's body needs to adjust to the warmth," Shiro nodded before pressing the other closer, his own toes and fingers getting pins and needles as blood flowed back the way it needed, "Good idea. Thanks."

The lions (one in his head and one here) made a sound before falling silent. Shiro merely rested his chin to the other's head, slowly feeling warmth crawl back into the one on him. He probably drifted off because when he next woke up, Keith was laying differently, no longer in a ball. Warmer breaths dragged across his skin and over his neck where Keith's mouth rested. Shiro could just feel the slight edge of a sharp fang on his neck, but not enough that the area was pleasantly warm. Keith's venom must not have been injected yet.

And before he could think of anything, a soft bundle of tickling hotness flowed along his skin. Shiro laid there for a moment, not understanding the sensation until it happened again. Another came over his left side before he got it.

Keith was licking him.

The older could feel his cheeks warm. Keith was probably licking along his neck as an unconscious instinct he had after starting to wake from his natural "coma." Animals who hibernated often needed to seek out food right away after their body used it all. A second later, Keith huffed before licking longer, lingering before starting on the next stroke. The younger went higher before his fangs dragged against his skin, leaving a tiny tingling mess in their wake. Before the older could comment, the other hugged him tighter as he wrapped his legs around one of Shiro's, as if making sure the white and black-haired man couldn't leave. Shiro snickered softly before gasping as the other sank his teeth in. 

Warmth settled over him as Keith wiggled about. The younger kept his fangs in Shiro's flesh, just barely moving his tongue to catch his blood. A tiny moan left his throat before he sucked on the spo-

Shiro let out a squeaking noise that he sincerely hoped Keith would not hear while feeding. Keith was his _friend._ His best friend. One of the few who he knew and knew him...why did this feel so intimate? Had their feedings always been so intimate? When had Shiro’s feelings shifted so much? Keith was a friend…

His brain stopped when Keith nuzzled into his neck even more, nose still cool but at the normal temperature Shiro knew and love-

Shiro blinked before letting the thought go. Sure, he loved Keith. As a friend. As someone who would always be there for the younger. As a brother-in-arms. As...more? He wasn’t so sure. God...it felt like what he had with Adam long ago...but...more? More intense. More peaceful? More…

Like they belonged?

_Like soulmates._ His mind whispered softly.

He ignored it.

Keith was merely feeding. He needed this just like Shiro needed air. It was nothing special. At least with Keith’s venom, Shiro wasn’t showing any type of arousal so that was good.

But he wanted to. He could run his lips across the other’s smooth skin, tell him how much he mattered, let him scrape him up in other spots, and kis-

Shiro slammed himself out of his thoughts quickly, making sure they didn’t continue. Keith was his friend.

F. R. I. E. N. D.

“Sh’ro?”

The older blinked before his attention turned to his best friend who was inches from his face, scarlet eyes staring at him innocently, lips just a small skip away from his. His teeth were still long and sharp, looking deadly and fresh. If Shiro looked hard enough, he could see a slight rose color in those cheeks...the other must have been better.

“Sh-Shiro?” Keith tried again, sounding stronger now before he placed his hand on Shiro’s undersuit, right on his stomach, “What happ’ened?”

“I’m not sure,” Shiro answered back honestly before placing his hand to the other’s shoulder, “Something in the snow is dangerous.”

“What!” Keith’s eyes widened as they flashed just a bit brighter, the younger alert as if he was expecting someone to pounce on them right now. The ebony-haired man began to inspect him quickly as if looking for signs of said dangers, “Shiro? Are you okay? You’re not hurt? Right?”

The younger sent him a scared expression that killed him. Of course Keith would be worried about him over himself.

It’s just the same he would be if the roles were reversed and he had gotten sick. 

“I’m just fine, Cherry Pie,” Shiro grinned softly before pressing the other closer. Keith seemed like he wanted to protest at first, but he soon settled in as he rested his chin to Shiro’s chest, “I don’t think this place is any more dangerous to humans than a normal blizzard is...the lions and you though…”

“Oh,” Keith whispered quietly before leaning closer yet, “They okay?”

“Yeah,” Shiro nodded slightly before pressing his arms around the other more, holding tighter, “They’re charging up right now. Red really likes you.”

“She’s nice,” Keith muttered back before said lion rumbled, likely sending the other images that made him snicker, “Black too.”

Oh yeah...Keith could hear the other lion. Shiro could feel that lion brushing against his mind, giving out a small thrum of happiness.

“Black likes you too,” the younger breathed against his neck before letting out a cute yawning sound, stretching out a leg and bringing it back before curling up some, “Tir’d.”

“Just sleep,” Shiro whispered back softly before feeling the other do so. He settled down more before slipping into a deep sleep not induced by a hibernating cycle this time as his hand bunched into Shiro’s undersuit. 

Shiro hoped the team came soon because he didn’t know how long they’d last on this planet...but he wasn’t too worried right now. They were both warm and out of the storm with a little bit of food and water. They had two sentient beings and each other. They were going to be fine.

Shiro thought this until he fell asleep, face resting into Keith’s hair.


	5. Burrs Suck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith (in bat form) gets burrs stuck all over his fur and skin. Lots of inconvenient pain and frustration hits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bat Keith featuring all the paladins, Allura, and Coran. Keith/Shiro, fluff with a tint of angst and Keith gets pampered.

"What the heck happened to you?"

Keith huffs as he shifts around. Something snips at his backside, making him yelp slightly as he tries to grab at the spot. Unfortunately, this action causes his wings to also feel the sting as stickers dig into his skin. A long pained whine leaves him as he plops into his tiny tummy. Even that hurts too, as he lands on stickers that won't budge.

How was he supposed to know that some type of pokey plant thing grew high up in the air on this planet? He had just been out for a quick (and by quick, he means 100 mph) flight when he accidentally slammed right into a cloud of puffy brown things. It wasn't pollen, but now it was stuck. It was stuck and it couldn't unstick it and he was getting frustrated and angry...and a bit scared and hurt.

He twitches, moving his left wing only to whimper again as another cluster of stickers exact their revenge. Another whine leaves him as he backs up into something on the tablet. A sharp one jabs him right between the ribs, poking him harder than before.

Fuck, ow. It hurts. What the hell where these fucking things and why couldn't he get them off?!?

He rubs on one long enough that it pops off of him. He glares at it, at the tiny mound of brown spikes.

He listens as the group laughs at him. Keith growls slightly before attempting to get more of the wicked plants off of him. A second later, one pulls out with a sharp sting. He goes at another, getting it into his mouth before discovering…

That it wants to stick into his mouth. He yelps quietly before brushing his hands over the thing, finally getting it out before spitting it out onto the table. A glob of fur goes with it, and Keith nearly hisses at that. How's he going to groom himself with these stuck in his fur? He can't even move without one stabbing him. He's absolutely covered in them, and they're all over in his fluffy fur. In fact, the only place not filled with the obnoxious fuckers is his fucking face. Even his ears are covered and-

"Got one out!"

He yelps as his right ear stings. When he looks to the side, he sees Lance holding one of the things in his hand. Keith grunts before pressing his chin to the table. Even that stings, since a plethora of stickers hang to his small neck. He just wants them out already. 

"How'd this happen?" Shiro asks softly, looking all the world like he wants to pet Keith but quickly decides against it. Smart. Good. Very good. Thank god someone around here has brains for once. Ow...ouch...

'I have no fucking clue,' Keith curses, knowing it comes out in bat chirps and clicks. He's getting frustrated, 'I flew into these...whatever they are. I want them out!'

Shiro winces as he eyes Keith. Keith can't blame him, since (as he said before) he is absolutely loaded with these things. 

"How about we just pull them out?" Lance scoffs before pulling another out from Keith's tail. The older yelps as pain races up his spine momentarily, "They don't hurt that much."

Keith growls. Of course they didn't. Lance didn't have them _stuck_ to him. He didn't feel the fucking pain when they got yanked out!

"Lance," Hunk frowns, "You uhhh...might not want to say that. Little Buddy looks ready to murder you. Can bats kill you? I uhhh...I don't want to find out. Please, man, don't."

"Look, it's simple," the Blue Paladin grins before his hand moves to Keith's left side. Keith glares at him, watching the appendage before something snaps along his neck. Keith squeaks and jumps into the air, fright smacking into him before he catches Lance's laughter, "Just pull it out. Someone's being a baby."

Keith growls before launching into the air. It hurts, but he doesn't care as he smacks straight down onto Lance's head. The younger shouts in surprise before a real cry of pain echoes behind it. Keith huffs before wiggling around a bit, dislodging the sticker balls into the other's hair and ears before jumping back onto the table.

"Ow. Ouchie," Lance whines, trying to unstick one from his right ear, "Why?"

'Now who's being a baby?' Keith snorts before lying back down. At least some of those on his underside are gone, so maybe that was the right method to use…

"Seriously," Allura sighs, rubbing her nose to get rid of an impending headache, "Will you two stop acting like children. Lance, stop antagonizing Little Buddy. Little Buddy, ignore Lance."

"What even are these?" Pidge stares at one on the table.

"These look like sky burrs!" Coran answers from the side while holding a box of supplies, "They tend to grow in trees, where they hang waiting for an animal friend to drop by!"

"Oh boy," Pidge glares at the older, not looking amused at all, "You're making it sound like the these burrs eat those animals."

"They're going to eat Little Buddy?" Hunk nearly shouts in shock before picking him up suddenly. Keith winces and grumbles before resigning himself to be in the bigger's hands. Both get jabbed as Hunk winces this time, "Oh, yeah, ouch. It does hurt. Whoops, sorry about that."

Keith sighs softly, resting his chin to Hunk's fingers.

"No, no, no, the sky burrs don't eat the animals," Coran shakes his head before digging through the box for something, "They merely get stuck into the animal's fur or skin until the seeds get transported to a new location to grow, you see."

"Then why aren't they called tree burrs?" Lance scowls, yanking one out before tears race to his eyes.

"Oh, but tree burrs are a different type of burr that only come from the tree. These are a species of plant that crawls up the tree. A kind of symbiotic relationship, you could say," the oldest Altean grins as he grabs a few things, "The tree gets its pollen taken to another tree, and the burrs get a place to grow and find some animal friends."

Keith growls slightly. These things were not his friends. Shiro was his (best) friend. The castle was his (sometimes) friend. The revacs were his (makeshift bat-family) friends. These burrs were not his friends. Ever.

Ever.

"Seems someone is sensitive today," the Altean shakes his head, "Let's get those out of your fur. Then we can put ointment on for the stinging."

"Or we can shave off all the fur," Lance smirks from the side pulling another burr out of his hair. Keith glares even harder at the idiot. Coran simply goes on as if he hasn't heard them.

"Did I mention that one time, Alfor and I fell into a pit of these? Took forever to get them out."

Before Keith could think, something wet and foamy soaks into his fur. He blinks, twisting his head around to look and then thoroughly regrets it as the burrs at the back of his neck snag on his skin. He whines before trying to crawl away from whatever is going on. Unfortunately, someone grabs onto his tail, so he quickly gives up on that front. Luckily, Shiro is suddenly in front of him, holding onto his face carefully. 

"Just some…" Shiro pauses before glancing at the oldest.

"Detangling conditioner," Coran states back before gently rubbing it in. Keith relaxes slightly at the feeling, actually enjoying it, "It'll get the burrs to release from your fur and make it much easier to comb out. Princess, may I borrow a comb?"

"Yes, you may," she nods before pulling one out, "I figured I would grab it once I smelled what you had. Father used that stuff to untangle my hair all the time."

"That he did!"

"See, you're okay," Shiro nods at him as Allura and Coran go on about her hair back then, "You're doing well. They'll be gone before you know it. I got you."

'Thanks,' Keith chirps at Shiro before relaxing fully. His tail wags slightly before he snuggles closer, mindful of his neck. Before long, something is brushing through his fur, gentle as can be. Keith starts to slide into a relaxed sleep from all the peaceful pampering. It's...it's nice.

"Awww…" Lance frowns softly, "Why does he get a spa day and I don't?"

"Because he's had a rough time," Pidge answers back, "I thought you like him?"

"Yeah, I do," Lance answers back before shrugging probably. Keith doesn't care to look over, "It's just funny to see him like this."

"I feel bad for him," Hunk says, "Look at all those burrs. There's probably two hundred in that pan. They're only about halfway done. No wonder he was grouchy."

And then Keith zones out as someone gently rubs his ear. It feels so good, like being surrounded with a weighted blanket. Namingly, Shiro's black fuzzy weighted blanket. Keith trills as he nuzzles into the touch. God, he never can get enough of it. He never wants to get enough. Not when it comes to Shiro. 

"Just take a nap," Shiro smiles at him as Keith sighs softly, nuzzling more. A second passes before Keith nips at a metal thumb, trilling happily, "I'll take you back to my room after. Then we can get you all tucked in."

Keith grins back, tail wiggling more before he does take a much needed nap. When he wakes, he's happy to see that he's burr-free and warm, surrounded by Shiro's scent. When he glances around, he sees the older resting by his side, asleep peacefully. Keith scoots closer, sniffing at him before trilling softly. He curls up along Shiro's neck before falling asleep once again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The sky and tree burrs are modeled after sand burrs. We have them where I live and man are they terrible on your body. Ouch! Poor Keith!


	6. Dressed Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro walks in on Lance trying to dress (bat) Keith in one of his homemade outfits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lance & Keith, Lance & Shiro, Keith&/Shiro, fluff, Lance being Lance.

"Lance, what are you doing?"

Shiro gazes over the whole situation. Some long pieces of...string are sitting around in the lounge. A few articles of handmade clothes sit just beside those, something the Blue Paladin must have made. The oldest human stares straight at the younger who grins back.

"Hey, Shiro!" He shouts before picking something up, "I'm doing something I should have done when we first met our bat friend!"

Bat friend…

Shiro gazes at Lance's hands to see a very grumpy little bat. In fact, said bat is glaring up a storm, violet eyes watching Lance with a vengeance. Shiro...can't blame him though. 

Keith has some type of outfit on. It's bright pink with spots of white and gold. Keith's never been one to hate colors, but he sure looks like he despises it right now. He's curling up in the Cuban's hand, his small fangs exposed in a silent scowl. He might be trying for the scary-don't-mess-with-me look, but he's failing spectacularly at it. Instead, he looks more like I'm-so-adorable-please-hug-and-hold-me.

Shiro winces before rubbing his nose, feeling the rough scar there and using it to ground him to the moment. 

The outfit is much like a mini baby suit. It's so small, it might even fit the mice. It hugs Keith in the worst spots imaginable, like his neck and wings. The slightly older (but still younger than Shiro) huffs before trying to make a move. He gets no further than the first step, a hiss leaving his throat. 

"Uhhh…" Shiro frowns, "Are you holding him prisoner?"

"Holding him prisoner…" Lance sputters as if it's an insult. It kind of is, "No! No, nuh uh. No way! I'm not holding him hostage! I'm dressing him up! I made some outfits and wanted to have him try it on!"

"Then why…" Shiro gazes at his best friend who wiggles again, "Does it look like it's trying to strangle him?"

Which it isn't. Shiro's not getting the feeling to save Keith, but Lance doesn't know that. Sometimes the younger needs to be grilled so he'll think about what he's doing. 

"Because he won't let me put it on right!" Lance shouts in frustration, too much frustration for dressing a bat up. Shiro blinks as the younger frowns, "He keeps moving around and I don't want to accidentally hurt him. Trust me, I made it so he can move in it! He's the one being difficult!"

Keith releases some squeaks of displeasure, probably cursing Lance to Earth and back. It's understandable, as Shiro would be doing the same if someone dressed him up like he's a baby.

"Shiro, man, can you just hold him still while I fix it?"

Shiro agrees after a moment, trying to keep the situation somewhat calm. He doesn't need Keith launching himself at Lance to bite him into unconsciousness to escape. Shiro wouldn't blame him if he did though.

"Just let Lance fix it up like it's supposed to be," Shiro smiles a bit before ruffling Keith's hair and fur, "And if you still hate it, I'll get it off, okay?"

Keith stares at him for a moment, looking all the world like Shiro has sentenced him to imprisonment or something. A few seconds later, the bat huffs and settles down, still grumpy. Lance grins back, quickly adjusting the whole thing until it fits better…it actually doesn't look too bad. It looks kind of like a kimono, but Shiro's mind could be a little biased here.

Little sleeves sit just right on Keith's wings now, open enough to allow movement, yet closed enough to not be a loose mess flowing everywhere. The collar area is also much looser now, letting Keith shake his head a bit. The end of the outfit stops just before Keith's tail, leaving the appendage out in the open to wag around. 

"See!" Lance nods to himself, a proud grin on his lips, "I even made one in black and red!"

Keith glares as if wondering why the other hadn't just used that one. Shiro just rubs his nose again, trying to chase off an impending headache. These two were really good at giving him those. Too good.

"It looks amazing," Shiro directs at Lance before gently taking Keith into his hold. As soon as he does, the other relaxes, biting onto his thumb like he normally does, "Thank you, Lance. I'm sure he'll like the black and red one even better. But for now, how about we give him a break? He's likely to be tired."

"Well, he does look pooped," Lance glances at the bat who does look exhausted now. A cute yawn leaves him mid-bite before he rests his chin on Shiro's thumb, one ear flicking, "Aww....okay. I'm going to the pool anyway. Don't let him tear that up or anything."

"I won't," Shiro watches as the other leaves the lounge. The older blinks before gathering up the smaller and taking off for his room. Luckily, they have a pair of Keith's clothes in his room, so he carefully gets the kimono-looking outfit off. As soon as he does, a cloud of scarlet smoke hangs over the bat. Before his eyes, it grows until it disperses to reveal his best friend who rests under the blanket on the bed.

"Stupid Lance," he grumbles, half asleep with his fangs out, eyes barely open enough to see that they are glowing ruby red, "Stupid outfit...why can't he...dress the mice up...I'm not cute!"

"You are," Shiro laughs as the younger glares at him, too tired to look scary. Besides, Shiro will never be scared of Keith anyway, vampire or not, "I think Lance is just homesick. He's probably also just bored."

"Yeah, well," Keith scowls before a yawn rips through him, "Pidge and Hunk don't do that to me…"

"Pidge and Hunk have stuff they can always do," the older shrugs before brushing his fingers through silky ebony hair, earning a pleased hum from Keith, "They're off inventing new things and making food. Lance really doesn't have much to do besides swim and do stuff like this. You get it. I know you do."

"Yeah," Keith states after a long moment, looking completely serious, "I do...used to know that feeling, back at the Garrison...threw myself into homework and my vampire stuff…"

"Exactly," Shiro grins fondly before pushing the blanket up further, just covering Keith's chin, "You should rest though. Your body needs its sleep."

"Yeah," Keith nods before closing his eyes, "Thanks, Shiro."

"Anytime, Keith," Shiro answers back softly, feeling as though he would break Keith if he says it too loud, "Good night, buddy."

If he lingers in the room for a moment longer than he should, no one knows about it. He's just making sure Keith's sleeping fine. And if those outfits happen to find their way on Keith more often, well...he's not going to force it to stop. Keith doesn't seem to dislike it too much, after all. And Lance's happy grins are worth it, even if Keith thoroughly denies it.


	7. Swimming in a Pool

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Bat) Keith goes for a swim in the Altean pool. Shiro is there to join with, and Hunk...well, Hunk freaks out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keith&/Shiro, Keith & Hunk, Hunk & Shiro. Fluff and slight angst, swimming, and more fluff.
> 
> EDIT: Now includes art!

Here's the thing:

Keith likes water. When he was a kid, he used to play out in the occasional mud/sand puddle. His pops would have to pull him away from there, to take him back home. They also would commonly explore the caves near their desert home, where small ponds of fresh, cold water would sit in the cool shades, protected from the heat. Keith loved taking short dives there, especially since he was so small. His pops taught him to swim there. Once in a while, they went to the local pool, where Keith always had a blast, especially since it was an indoor pool where the sunlight wasn't so bright. They used to spend their time limit of two hours to the fullest, splashing and playing around. He still remembers his dad's laughter as he holds Keith up above the water, pretending he could fly.

'If only pops could see me now,' he sighs softly, arms crossing over his chest, 'I can fly now, in more than a ship. I miss him.'

"You okay?"

Keith blinks, glancing back to see Shiro's grey eyes staring at him worriedly. Keith nods before sighing softly, coming closer to Shiro.

"Yeah," he nods again before leaning against the other's shoulder, subtly smelling Shiro. The taste of honey and desert dust and vanilla hits him, just as amazing as always. He relaxes a bit, "Just thinking about pops. We used to go to the local swimming pool every so often. I used to love it."

"Oh," Shiro blinks before looking out at the Altean pool. Keith joins him, staring at the glistening blue water, "I'm glad you had a good time with your dad. How about we swim now? Maybe it can cheer you up."

"Uh, sure," Keith shrugs before reaching up to shed himself of his shirt. He already had shorts on, so he was ready to hop into the water. He steps into the cool water after tossing his shirt to the side, enjoying the feeling as water sinks up to his mid-thigh. He normally doesn't like the cold, much less cold liquid around him, but he can make an exception for this. He sighs happily before noticing that Shiro hasn't joined yet. Looking back at the other, he's surprised to see him just staring at him.

"Uhhh...Shiro?" Keith tilts his head, which gets a little cough from Shiro before the older nods and moves closer. He doesn't remove his shirt, and Keith frowns. It's likely to do with all the scars he got. Keith doesn't push it as the other sinks into the pool until it's up to his stomach. The shirt is black, so nothing really gets revealed which both makes Keith happy and sad.

"Sorry," the older apologises with a sheepish smile, "Didn't mean to stare. Just...thinking...you're...so relaxed. It's...uhhh...amazing to see..."

"Okay," Keith nods before walking closer, "So what are we doing? Racing? Casual swimming? Relaxing?"

"I was thinking…" Shiro glances at him for a long moment before shrugging slightly, "That you could try out your bat form in the water."

"What?" Keith blinks, stilling, "Why?"

"Well, you've never swam in bat form before," Shiro smiles before covering his face, "Or at least, not that I know of. And I was thinking that something new might be good to do...And who knows, maybe you'll like it…"

"Okay," Keith says breathlessly before he climbs to the edge of the pool, hopping out before resting onto the slick metal. He waits a minute, receiving a bigger, softer grin from Shiro. He smiles back before concentrating on the feeling of...well, whatever it is when he turns. He feels as his body shrinks and rearranges itself. Before long, the transformation is complete, leaving him much, much smaller. He gazes out at the water, sniffing at it before sneezing. The rich smell of Altean chlorine hits him as he wiggles to the edge. A second later, he leaps into the pool.

Keith likes water. He likes to swim, he likes to sit in it, he likes to drink water - which was essential for living. Heck, drinking blood had a lot of water too, so he knew the importance of it.

As soon as he splashes into the water, he lets out a few chirps. It feels...nice. Almost like a hug, and he waits for a second, a trill sneaking out. Shiro stands still in the background, making sure to not be too overprotective but close enough to save him if Keith has problems. He trills at the thought before flapping a wing, spinning to the right slightly. He stops, sliding to a standstill before pushing both wings at the same time.

He scoots forward, gliding through the water just a bit. He tries again, getting the same result before chirping and diving under for a moment. It's strange, but somehow, water doesn't go into his ears. He swims forward a bit before growing frustrated.

It's not like flying. It's more...resistant. It's like there's a constant wind pushing against him. He snorts silently at the thought. Air was nothing like water, but yet it kind of was. He quickly decides to surface before he can scare Shiro. Flapping his wings, he breaks the water, taking a deep breath of fresh air before swimming onward. If he wants to go fast, he has to flap a lot. He's so tiny that it creates little waves around him. Those waves make pattering noises as he swims to Shiro who laughs, face joyful.

"You did it!" He grins before gently lifting Keith in his hands. Keith lets him, enjoying the warmth as he shakes off some droplets of water clinging to his fur. Said water flings itself into Shiro's face, which Keith snickers at. The older gives him a raised brow, smiling fondly, "Very funny. I'm guessing you like it."

'Yeah,' Keith rests his chin against the other's metal thumb, tail wagging, "It's nice.'

“I’m going to say that you are agreeing with me,” Shiro speaks before lowering both hands until they rest just above the water, “Want back in? Think you’ll be safe to swim by yourself? I mean, I think Allura said something about automated lifeguard bots in here that save people if they're not moving for at least one minute, but I doubt they’ll register you as anything more than an apple or something…”

‘More fruit mentions,’ Keith snorts softly, forehead flopping against Shiro’s metal thumb, ‘I still don’t love every red fruit or veggie out there, Shiro. I’ll be fine. Just having fun.’

“Okay,” Shiro chuckles softly before placing him into the water, allowing his hands to settle just beneath him, “I get it. Have a good time, Keith.”

Keith lets out a squeak before swimming forward again. He quickly flaps through the water, going about twenty feet before pausing for a breather. It takes so much more out of him to swim than fly or even to just climb or run. But he likes this type of exercise, something so alien from what he normally did with the gladiator bot. That was all swing here, swing there, jump, don’t get hit! This was more...strain. He likes it a lot. If he had the stamina of a normal bat, he’d probably be asking Shiro to come pick him up so he’d be safe. But he has more to go, so he swims on.

Actually, the more he swims, the less it bothers him. He builds up a steady and gentle pace that keeps his head well above water and his limbs warm and happy. He swims around for probably a half an hour, enjoying the feeling.

And yes, he has noticed Shiro watching him with a fond look every now and then. But he’s also been watching Shiro swimming around. The older wasn’t into diving into the water like Keith is, but he’s still good enough at swimming that he can move around without an issue. It’s nice to watch him relax more, to let go of his more serious leader personality. One time, Keith even sneaks his way up to Shiro, crawling up onto his stomach to surprise him. It earns a wonderful laugh from his best friend as his tiny back paw scratches at the other's black tank top.

As it is, right now...Keith figures out that his bat form can’t crawl out of the pool.

He blinks, reaching up to grab the edge of the pool. The water line is about four inches below the first step that lets people walk into the pool. Keith can’t exactly jump from the water to fly out...hmmm…

He grips onto the edge before yanking himself up. He barely gets an inch before the water makes his wings slip. He plops back into the water with a shocked squeak, bobbing up and down like an app-

‘No,’ he growls out loud, slamming a wing onto the water’s surface, ‘No apples. I’m not an apple. God, fuck you, Shiro.’

As if he could understand him, he hears a chuckle from Shiro’s side of the pool. Keith twists around to see that the other is resting against the side, both arms over the white metal. His white bangs cling to his forehead in a distracting and adorable way, but the smirk there gets his attention. Shiro’s _laughing_ at him. At him…

Keith glares at the other, giving him the stink eye. The other only laughs harder, not even trying to hide it. Keith huffs before rolling his eyes, turning back to the problem on wing.

‘Hah hah, Shirogane,’ he mutters before trying once again to climb his way out, only to fail again, ‘You try it then.’

“I’m good,” Shiro shouts back before shrugging, “You’re almost there.”

‘Almost there, my ass,” Keith growls back before shaking his head and swimming away. By now, he can swim even faster, but probably nowhere near what a normal human can swim. He launches himself straight for Shiro who continues to laugh, eyes closed. Keith smirks, tail wiggling around before he pounces on the other who lets out a shriek of surprise. Keith holds onto Shiro’s bangs as the other bolts straight into the water on accident. Gripping white strands, he barely clings on until Shiro surfaces again, sputtering and coughing out water. Keith sits on his nose, clinging to the bangs to not fall back into the water right away.

“K-Kei-th!” The older hacks a few more times before going to rub his face, dropping his hand at the last second, thinking better of it, “Why! You’re evil, you know that!”

‘Well, that’s what you get for laughing at me,’ Keith smacks his tail into the tip of Shiro’s nose, his skin flap covering Shiro's lower nose. His wing claws sit just above his eyebrows where he moves them from the strands of hair, ‘Meanie.’

“Oh, sorry,” Shiro frowns before rubbing his own neck sheepishly, “Wasn’t laughing at your frustration. I know you’ll figure a way out. Are you good? I didn’t...accidentally hurt you there, right?”

Shiro is so genuinely worried that Keith does the only thing he can think of. He slips out of Shiro’s bangs, crawling down to his neck before nuzzling there, a quiet trill coming out of him at the action. The older grins back, softer now as his flesh hand gently rubs along his back.

“Okay,” the human nods before sighing happily, “Okay, thank you. You’re really good?”

Keith merely chirps a few times, rubbing his side along Shiro’s neck before jumping off of Shiro, back into the pool. With a small splash, he surfaces before swimming off to the other side. The older man lets him go, sinking back into the water. Keith goes back to swimming around like before, having just as much fun. It lasts for another half an hour.

Keith likes to swim. He likes the water. He likes being with Shiro.

He does _not_ like loud people coming in and scooping him up suddenly.

“Little Buddy!”

And suddenly, arms are holding onto him. He’s so confused and startled at first that he tries to fight his way out, ready to bite the person if need be. He's even ready to turn back into his full form, ready to summon his bayard to stab the person. But then he gets a whiff of said person, noting that...it’s Hunk.

He glances up.

The Yellow Paladin is a worried mess, eyes wide and clearly freaking out. Keith practically feels squished against the other’s chest as the younger panics.

“Please don’t drown!” The other shouts in fear, “Please be okay! Oh, my god. Why are you in the water! Did you fall in? Wait, did something chase you in? Did you sleepfly into there? Do bats even sleepfly? Are you okay!”

Keith huffs, staring at the water before wiggling his way out of the younger’s hold. He just gets free when the other grabs back onto him. He lets out a squeak before pushing against the other's hands.

“Whoa, no!” The bigger states with narrowed brows, “Don’t fall back into the water! You’ll drown! Here you go, I’ll put you back here!”

He gently sits Keith down on the edge of the pool, nearly a foot away from the water. Keith blinks at it before quickly jumping back into the water. Hunk shouts out in surprise, trying to dive after him to prevent him from going anywhere. This time, Keith slips by him, going into the water before flapping his way across the pool. The younger stops to stare in shock.

“You’re...not drowning?” He asks softly before blinking, “You’re not drowning! Oh, thank goodness! I thought you fell in without anyone to help get you out!”

His eyes suddenly snap up to something, and Keith knows it is Shiro who the younger finally sees.

“Oh...Uh...Hey, Shiro!” Hunk laughs softly, nervous. Shiro only watches, face already looking apologetic, “I...didn’t notice you there, whoops. Sorry, man.”

“It’s fine,” Shiro laughs before taking Keith into his hold. Keith lets him, climbing up to his shoulder, nuzzling against his neck like always, “I’m glad you were worried enough to try to save him. Luckily, I’ve been here the whole time and Little Buddy’s a pretty good swimmer, aren’t you, Little Buddy?”

Keith huffs, tail wagging before he shakes himself free of water. He jumps, this time to fly straight over to Hunk, landing on his arm. It takes a bit more energy to do so, compared to normal, likely because of the wet fur he has now. He quickly crawls up his shoulder before trilling an apology for scaring the other. Hunk blinks before grinning back at him, relaxing his body before he chuckles sweetly.

“It’s okay, little guy,” he says back, “I was walking nearby and heard some splashing. Thought I’d check up on it when he saw you up here. Keep on doing whatever you were.”

Keith grins back before hopping off, swimming back into the water before making a few rounds, even incorporating a few twists and flips into the works.

“You are a good swimmer,” Hunk nods, satisfied, “I thought bats weren’t good at that because...well, water. I’ll be on my way. Anyway…”

He goes to walk back out before pausing and turning back around.

“Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you,” he looks over at Shiro with his chocolate brown eyes, “Supper’s about ready in half an hour. I’m making some type of...spaghetti goulash...spaglash? Goulhetti? Space...spash? Splash? I don’t know what I even want to call it, but you get what I’m saying, I think. I also made it without garlic or any garlic related plants so that Keith can eat it!”

His gaze finds Keith’s.

“And if Little Buddy joins us,” the other nods his way, “I’ll get something for him to have! We got fruits, some bugs that Coran says are tasty, and uhhh...some type of meat that can’t be cooked past like...ultra rare so…it's bloody as anything, and none of us can eat it...”

Keith glances from him to Shiro. Shiro seems to get the hint.

“I think he’ll skip this time,” the older smiles back, “He’s probably full. But I’ll make sure that Keith knows we’re about to eat. See you there, Hunk.”

“Yeah, see you,” Hunk grins at them, “Bye, Little Buddy!”

And then he strolls out of the room. Keith waits a while before transforming back into his vampire form, everything sharper as he hears Hunk’s footsteps fading away halls away. He sits there for a moment before sighing softly.

“That was...interesting?” Keith shrugs before coming to Shiro’s side, “So we want to get dried up? Luckily, the Altean water doesn’t leave us stinking like Earth ones do, so we don’t need showers.”

“Yeah,” Shiro grins back as fondly as ever before nodding, “We can do that. I know I’m looking forward to the food tonight. I’m starving.”

“Well, we better go. Gotta make sure you’re eating enough for me to feed from you later!” Keith smirks back, eyes bright red before taking off in a swim, “I’ll race you there! Come on, Old Timer!”

“Hey!” Shiro shouts, hurrying after him, “Not fair! You’re faster anyway! I’ll catch up!”

Keith laughs as he runs up the side of the pool, grabbing his shirt. He quickly lets his vampire side return back to his human-looking form before giggling more. He rushes to slip it on before running out of the room with a loud laugh, Shiro right behind him, dripping still with water trailing behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not to sound cliche, but Hunk is a cinnamon roll!


End file.
